Waking Back Along The Line
by MirskianQueen
Summary: Luke goes to sleep… … And wakes 24 years in the past. Can he change past events to save the future? Set at the end of ROTJ and the beginning of ROTS just after Anakin is accepted on the Council.
1. Prologue

_**WAKING BACK ALONG THE LINE.**_

_**Luke goes to sleep…**_

… _**And wakes 20 years in the past. Can he change past events to save the future? (Set at the end of ROTJ and the beginning of ROTS just after Anakin is accepted on the Council.)**_

_**PROLOGUE.**_

Luke lay on the bed in the Star Cruiser and sighed, he still couldn't believe everything that had happened; Han being caught and taken to Jabba, Leia admitting her feelings for him, rescuing Han and finding out that Leia was really his sister, and then _Vader_; he had saved him, he had died as Anakin Skywalker, he had died his Father.

When he had first found out the truth, the knowledge that _Darth Vader _was his Father had just too much to bear; he hadn't understood why Ben hadn't told him, hadn't understood why he had _lied_. He remembered what Ben had told him perfectly when he had asked how his Father had died.

"_Young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights. He betrayed and murdered your father."_

Luke shook his head and sighed, he understood why Ben hadn't just told him the truth now; he hadn't been ready. _I wish I had known him before he turned, _the stray thought was his last before his eyes drooped and slowly closed, sighing softly, Luke let himself drift into peaceful sleep.

xxx

"Take a seat, young Skywalker."

Anakin had barely turned to sit on his seat in the council chamber when a blinding light flashed from behind him.

As quick as it had come, the light vanished. Blinking Anakin spun around… and froze, staring at the young man lying in the middle of the Council Chamber. He noticed the shock of the entire Council mirrored his own; after all, this young man had appeared out of nowhere.

_x_

Luke groaned and slowly sat up, his head throbbed with pain. "What happened?" He opened his eyes and froze staring at Yoda in shock, then he groaned, "oh."

The tall blonde man standing in front of him raised his eyebrows, "this makes sense to you?"

Luke snorted, "If you can make sense of going to sleep and waking in the past, then yes, all of this makes perfect sense." He shook his head, "none of this makes sense, I don't know how I got here, or when here is."

The Jedi masters stared in shock at Luke's admission, then the blonde man shrugged. "I'm Anakin Skywalker," he said pulling Luke to his feet.

His eyes widening again, Luke stared at his father in astonishment; somehow his wish had come true.


	2. Chapter 1

_**WAKING BACK ALONG THE LINE.**_

_**Luke goes to sleep…**_

… _**And wakes 24 years in the past. Can he change past events to save the future? (Set at the end of ROTJ and the beginning of ROTS just after Anakin is accepted on the Council.)**_

_**CHAPTER ONE.**_

Luke stared at Anakin, then the realisation struck him; he could stop his father from ever turning to the dark-side, he could save the Jedi and the Republic.

He could grow up knowing his father, he could save his mother, have a lifetime to know Leia.

"I'm Luke..." Luke froze, he couldn't use his own last name; if he did, he would get his father in a lot of trouble. But what then, who could he say he was? It would have to be someone close, someone who was like family...

_Han._

Luke smiled, "Luke Solo."

Anakin frowned, he was lying; his name might have been Luke, but his last name was certainly not 'Solo'. The other Masters had noticed too, Luke swallowed and took a deep breath.

"Look, there are things I'm not going to be able to tell you." He knew they knew he was lying, "but I can help you."

Yoda sat forward, "help with what, can you?"

"I could help stop the Sith." Luke shrugged, "I could save the Jedi Order and the Republic from destruction."

Anakin frowned, "you said that you 'could' do all of that_"

"Why didn't I say that I would?" At his father's nod, Luke shrugged. "Revealing too much at once, could be just as bad as revealing nothing." If he revealed everything too soon, it could have detrimental results.

Obi-wan cleared his throat, "how can telling us your name be harmful?"

Luke closed his eyes, "because my father is a Jedi and I don't want to cause any trouble fro him." looking at the Jedi masters, Luke shrugged, "my name isn't important. I won't be here after everything is fixed so for this purpose, my name is irrelevant."

"Why wouldn't you be here?" Anakin looked confused, "saving the Jedi and the Republic_"

Luke sighed softly, "I'll be destroying my timeline." He told them, "I will exist in this time, but my time will cease to exist, thus I will no longer exist."

Yoda looked thoughtful, "aware that destroying yourself, you will be." he looked at Luke questioningly, "willing to do this, why would you be?"

Luke closed his eyes, "for the greater good." He felt a twinge of fear, if he did this, he wouldn't just cease to exist, he never would have existed - at least not as he was, the Luke Skywalker replacing him would be different; how could he not, he would be raised in peace, he would grow up knowing the love of his parents.

_It is the right thing to do, _Luke opened his eyes. "in my time, the war has only just ended." He looked at Anakin, "not this war, but a war against the new 'Empire', ruled by a Sith Lord."

"If the war has ended, why are you here?"

Luke looked at the tall black Jedi Master, "Forgive me, but I don't know who you are, Master..."

"Mace Windu," Master Windu supplied with a nod.

Luke smiled bowed his head, "I do not know how I came to be here." He said quietly, "But in my time I am the last Jedi." Ignoring the horrified gasps, Luke licked his lips. "I live in a galaxy that has known only war and terror for the last 24 years, if I were to do nothing and return to my time, the entire galaxy would take years if not decades to rebuild. And the task of restoring the Jedi would fall on me," Luke grimaced and shook his head, "it is something I wouldn't know how to do."

"You do know that you won't see the future you would create here though." Obi-wan said, "that doesn't bother you?"

Luke chuckled and shook his head, "of cause it does." He took a deep breath, "but the thought of millions of people dying and suffering for nearly two and a half decades bothers me more."

Anakin shrugged, "the easiest way to stop your future, would be to destroy the Sith Lord."

Luke nodded, "it would wouldn't it." he spread his hands, "we'd have to figure out who he is first."

Master Windu frowned, "so who is he?"

"Everyone I've ever met has called him 'The Emperor'," Luke said simply, "I don't know who he is."

Anakin choked and shook his head, "how can you not know?"

Rolling his eyes, Luke sighed. "I lived a very sheltered life on a farm on Tatooine," he said with a shrug, "I joined the Rebellion against the Empire when I was 19."

Now Anakin looked intrigued, "you were raised on Tatooine?"

Luke silently cursed himself, if he wasn't careful he'd give away his true identity. "Me and thousands of other people," he said vaguely, "it's not really important."

"If you don't know who the Sith Lord is, how do you intend to find him?" Obi-wan asked, also looked at Luke curiously.

Luke shrugged again, "I may not know who he is. But I know his presence," Luke squared his shoulders, "I can identify him and help defeat him."

x

Luke walked beside Anakin, when he had asked if he could be shown where he could sleep, Anakin had volunteered.

Anakin pulled him up short, "you're my son aren't you?"

Luke spluttered and shook his head, "no."

Anakin shook his head, "you're lying." he folded his arms, "it was only after i told you who I was that you lied about your name."

Luke closed his eyes and nodded, "I think you can understand why I lied."

Anakin nodded, "I understand." he licked his lip and took a deep breath, "I have to know, your mother...?"

Luke looked down and bit his lip, "she died after she gave birth."

Anakin blanched, "I couldn't save her."

"We can change that," Luke grasped his father's arm, "we can make sure that she survives." he didn't know how, but he would find out.

Anakin closed his eyes, "how?"

"I don't know," Luke smiled and shrugged, "I didn't plan on coming here you know."

Anakin frowned, "you really don't know how you came here?"

Luke shook his head, "I didn't think it was possible." Evidently no one else had either, shrugging Luke smiled at his father. "But I am here, and I'm going to do everything I can to stop my future from becoming a reality."


	3. Chapter 2

_**WAKING BACK ALONG THE LINE.**_

_**Luke goes to sleep…**_

… _**And wakes 24 years in the past. Can he change past events to save the future? (Set at the end of ROTJ and the beginning of ROTS just after Anakin is accepted on the Council.)**_

_**CHAPTER TWO.**_

"... You're asking me to do something against the Jedi Code. Against the Republic. Against a mentor, and a friend. That's what's out of place here." Anakin glared at Obi-wan angrily, "Why are you asking this of me?"

Obi-wan looked at Anakin sympathetically, "The Council is asking you." He sighed and shook his head, "and you need to be careful."

Anakin frowned, still glaring. "Careful of what?"

"Luke won't tell us who is really is because his father is a Jedi, he was raised on Tatooine, and it was only after he learned who you were that he lied about his name."

Anakin closed his eyes, "you know he's my son."

"I suspected," Obi-wan folded his arms, "Padme is his mother, isn't she?"

Anakin nodded and took a deep breath, "she's my wife."

"Anakin!" Obi-wan stared at him in shock, "What were you thinking?"

"I love her," Anakin looked away from his friend, "when we were on Geonosis, we both thought we were going to die. We let ourselves express our feelings to each other," Anakin forced himself to Look at Obi-wan, "when we survived, neither one of us could ignore how we felt. We married when I escorted her back to Naboo."

Obi-wan groaned, "Anakin_"

"I know," Anakin wallowed and closed his eyes, "you won't tell anyone, will you?"

Obi-wan shook his head, "if I'd intended to tell the Council, I would have already."

Anakin looked relieved, "thank you." He smiled and shook his head, "I don't know how Padme will react when she meets our son."

x

Padme looked up when Anakin walked in, she smiled, striding forward_

And pulled up short when a young, blonde haired man followed him in. Anakin grinned and closed the gap between them, leaning down to gently kiss her.

"Anakin!" Padme jerked back, "We can't_!"

"He knows," Anakin told her quickly, "and he's not going to tell anyone."

Padme froze and blinked, "how does he know?" She had never seen him in her life, how could he possibly know about her and Anakin?

"Padme this is Luke." Anakin said_

At exactly the same time as Luke said, "I'm from the future."

Padme blinked and looked at Luke, "you're from the future? How?"

Luke shook his head, "I have no idea. I went to sleep in my time and woke up here."

"We were in the Council Chamber, when he appeared." Anakin explained, "there was a flash of light, and he was here." He smiled and placed a hand on Luke's shoulder, "he's our son Padme."

Her eyes suddenly went wide, stepping forward, Padme stared at him; her son, this was her son. Luke smiled tremulously, swallowed and hugged her. Padme slowly put her arms around him, her heart swelling with love in an instant.

Pulling back she stared at Luke; he looked so similar to Anakin. Smiling she sniffed back tears, "you're so handsome."

_I know it's short, but I didn't want everything happening at once, and this felt like a good place to end the chapter. I didn't know if I was going to have Obi-wan figure out who Luke was so soon, but I think it will work better this way..._

_i hope it will anyway.  
_

_Ideas on how to continue would be greatly appreciated.  
_


	4. Chapter 3

_**WAKING BACK ALONG THE LINE.**_

_**Luke goes to sleep…**_

… _**And wakes 24 years in the past. Can he change past events to save the future? (Set at the end of ROTJ and the beginning of ROTS just after Anakin is accepted on the Council.)**_

_**CHAPTER THREE.**_

Luke groaned and put his head in his hands, when he had first 'arrived' in the past, he had been so sure of what he would do. But now he had had time to think about everything, what he had done in his life, what he had accomplished with his friends, how the war and the Empire had shaped him and his friends as people. If he changed everything here, none of that would mean anything.

But if he did nothing, he knew that if would be nearly two and a half decades before the galaxy saw peace. Two and a half decades of fear and war and destruction, if he could stop that, millions of people would be saved - at the expense of changing who they might have become.

Shaking his head, Luke sighed. Oddly, he was ok with erasing himself from existence; and if it were only him effected, he would have had no trouble in sacrificing himself to bring peace. But he wouldn't just be erasing himself from existence, he would erase an entire galaxy with him.

Standing, Luke sighed softly and walked out of the room he had been given in the temple. he needed advice, needed someone to tell him what he should do.

x

Obi-wan looked up as Luke entered, "you look troubled."

"I don't know what to do," Sitting beside him, Luke looked at Obi-wan. "If I change the past here, I would be able to bring about peace."

"And that's a bad thing?" Obi-wan asked, confused.

"No, of cause not." Luke shook his head, "but I would be be altering every person's lives, the experiences that shaped their personality." closing his eyes, Luke sighed. "Most of the friends I made and their friends, only met because of the Empire or the Rebellion. My sister only met the man she loves because you and me hired him and he helped rescue her from Vader." Looking at Obi-wan, Luke shrugged, "how could I be sure that they would still meet? That they would be the same people I know?"

Obi-wan blinked, he hadn't thought of that, of what Luke would be doing. "If you chose to do nothing," he said slowly, "could you just sit back and watch 'The Emperor' take control? Could you do nothing as the Jedi were destroyed?"

Luke shook his head, "no... but..." shaking his head again, Luke sighed, "how do I know that what I'm doing is the right thing?"

"You have to trust yourself," Obi-wan told him, "you were brought here for a reason."

Nodding, Luke frowned, "but why now?"

The emperor had been defeated, the Empire beaten; why would he be supposed to erase all of that? "it would have made sense if the Emperor was still alive, if we were still fighting." But they had won, "that's what's most confusing. If I'm supposed to stop 'the Emperor' from taking control, why bring me back after he's been defeated?"

Obi-wan shook his head, "i don't pretend to understand any of this Luke." he told him, "but I do know, that you have come here, to this point in time and you have the ability to help us."

Luke nodded, "i know..." Sighing he closed his eyes, "I just hope I'm doing the right thing."

"Well, we'll see soon enough."

xx

Luke sighed and shook his head as he sat in the Council Chamber with the master yoda, Master Windu, Anakin and Obi-wan. Looking at master Windu, Luke shook his head. "I can't tell you that."

"You can't tell us who Darth Vader is? Or you won't tell us?" Master Windu asked, folding his arms.

Closing his eyes, Luke groaned, "I won't ok. Because at this point in time, Darth Vader doesn't exist." Luke explained, "he's a Jedi who has no intention of turning to the darkside."

"Vader is a jedi? Like your father?" Master Windu pressed, "are your father and Vader the same person?"

Luke saw Anakin's gaze flick to him, shaking his head, luke answered honestly. "No." he said with a quiet firmness, "darth Vader and my father are two completely different people." taking a deep breath, Luke breathed out slowly, "we should be focusing on the Emperor."

Obi-wan frowned, "you really don't know who he is?'

"Obviously someone must have mentioned his name at some point," Luke admitted, "but almost everyone referred to him as 'the Emperor'. So i can't remember," he'd been racking his brain, trying to recall who the Emperor was, but so far... No luck. "Which is why, i want to accompany Anakin when he goes to see the Chancellor.'

Anakin's eyebrows rose, "you think the Chancellor is 'The Emperor'?"

"Not specifically," Luke said, sensing the trust his father had toward him. "but you don't become Emperor, without being high up in political status." if it wasn't the Chancellor, it was someone close to him.

"A good point, you have." Yoda said, "gut if go to the Senate you do. Tell them that from the future you are, you cannot."

Luke nodded, "I thought of that."

obi-wan cocked his head, "what story are you going to tell them?"

"The truth, to some extent." Luke shrugged, "that I was trained by an old hermit on Tatooine and came here to see the jedi."

Anakin chuckled, "an old hermit?"

"That was what I always thought Obi-wan was," Luke said, looking at Obi-wan he grinned. "You certainly looked the part," he said with a small chuckle, "I don't think the lifestyle suited you."

Obi-wan folded his arms, looking rather unimpressed. "If you two are going to see the Chancellor, you'd better get going."

_I am so sorry it took so long to update. I just couldn't think of how to continue. Hopefully the next chapter won't be so long in coming, but I really am sorry._


	5. Chapter 4

_**WAKING BACK ALONG THE LINE.**_

_**Luke goes to sleep…**_

… _**And wakes 24 years in the past. Can he change past events to save the future? (Set at the end of ROTJ and the beginning of ROTS just after Anakin is accepted on the Council.)**_

_**CHAPTER FOUR.**_

Anakin and Luke had just left the council chamber. It was only a matter of seconds later when several of the Jedi Masters started laughing.

"Obi-wan as an old hermit? Why is that so hard to imagine?" Said Shakk Ti as she tried hard not to smile as Obi-wan shook his head in embarrassment.

Windu rolled his eyes a little. "I think we have more important issues to concern ourselves with."

"Like an unknown Sith Lord trying to take over the Galaxy," Obi-wan agreed, glad for the change in subject.

xxx

As Anakin and Luke were heading to the Chancellor's office, Luke kept looking at Anakin. Anakin began to grow annoyed with the almost constant glances from his future son. He suddenly stopped causing Luke to stop as well. "Is there something you want to ask me?"

Luke shook his head and smiled a little. "I was just wondering how someone can change so much..."

Anakin was confused as to what he meant. "What are you talking about?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

Luke paused trying to think of something to say. What were you to say to someone who could detect if you were lying? "It's just... you're quite different in my timeline..." With that said, Luke began to walk again, causing Anakin to hurry to catch up to him.  
"What do you mea-"  
"Stop," Luke looked at him and shook his head, "don't ask questions you really don't want the answers to."  
Anakin frowned, there was something he was missing...  
_"...at this point in time, Darth Vader doesn't exist." Luke explained, "He's a Jedi who has no intention of turning to the darkside."_  
Anakin closed his eyes, "You told the Council that Darth Vader and me, were two different people." And Luke had said now, that in his time, he was 'quite different'.

Luke swallowed and sighed, "I wasn't going to tell you." Hadn't wanted him to figure it out, he'd hoped that he could spare his father the pain of knowing what he had become, of what he had done.

Anakin shook his head and opened his eyes, looking straight at Luke. "Am I the reason the Jedi Order is almost destroyed?" He felt he already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from Luke himself.  
"No," Luke shook his head, " everything that happened in my time is 'Darth Sidious' fault," his father wasn't to blame, "It's his plan, not yours." He sighed and closed his eyes. "I don't know how, but I'm sure he manipulated you to do his bidding."

"Then we better find out who he is."

x

They entered Palpatine's office, who greeted them with a cheerful expression... or more like greeted Anakin. "Anakin, my boy, it is good to see you again." He looks to Luke curiously. "And who would this be?"

"This is Luke Solo."

Luke didn't notice Anakin introducing him, he stared at Palpatine, barely managing to hide his horror as he stared at the younger version of 'The Emperor'. To the others he seemed to have spaced out. Anakin's comlink beeped, snapping the attention of all three to it as Anakin answered it. "I'm here, what's going on?"

_"Anakin, it seems that we have discovered General Grievous whereabouts. I need you back here. We have another mission." _Obi-wan's voice sounded over the comlink.

"Very well, we'll be right over." He turned it off and turned to Palpatine and sighed. "Sorry Chancellor, but I guess we'll have to cut this short."

Palpatine smiled as he patted Anakin on the shoulder. "That's quite alright my boy. I know the call of duty when I hear one. Good luck, and I look forward to talking to you again."

With that said, both Anakin and Luke left the office, however unbeknownst to the Chancellor, Luke had seen his eyes flash yellow as they left._**  
**_


	6. Chapter 5

_**WAKING BACK ALONG THE LINE.**_

_**Luke goes to sleep…**_

… _**And wakes 24 years in the past. Can he change past events to save the future? (Set at the end of ROTJ and the beginning of ROTS just after Anakin is accepted on the Council.)**_

CHAPTER FIVE

Luke remained silent as he and Anakin made their way to the Council Chamber, but Anakin could sense his inner turmoil. As they walked inside the chamber, Anakin frowned at Luke, something was very wrong. "Are you going to tell me what is going on?"

Luke closed his eyes and took a very deep breath as he looked straight at Anakin, while addressing the entire Council. "You remember how I said the I didn't 'specifically' think the Chancellor was the Sith lord?" he didn't wait for a reply, "Well I do now."

"Chancellor Palpatine is the Sith Lord?" Master Windu asked, shocked.

"No," Anakin shook his head, "that can't be. I've known Palpatine ever since I first became a Padawa-" He stopped himself short. Pausing to think it over.

Luke just confirmed his realization. "Why would a Chancellor want to befriend a Padawan who happens to be 'The Chosen One' without ulterior motives in mind?"

This caused all the Masters eyes to widened as they realized Luke spoke the truth.

Anakin turned and punched the wall causing a small crater. "Why didn't I realize it before? He's just been playing me this whole time." Luke tried to comfort him but Anakin just gave him a sharp look. "You don't get it, do you? Ever since I became a Padawan, he's been trying to talk me into following what I feel and not what I know. He's been instilling-"

"Stop," Luke shook his head, "what he's done, doesn't matter." Looking at his father, Luke smiled reassuringly, "You know the truth now, you know everything he told you was a lie."

Anakin took a shaky breath as he was slowly calming down. He turned his back towards the council and held his head down. "It's been his idea to turn me this entire time... hasn't it?"

Luke nodded, then frowned. His father was too confused and upset to face Palpatine... He smiled as he realized the solution, "You should go with Obi-wan to defeat Grievous." That way, Anakin would be far away from Palpatine's influence. "It will help to calm your senses. As you will be away from his influence... I've already managed to change somethings. However, I hope to change more."

Anakin looked over to him. "You mean prevent your mother's death and the destruction of the Jedi Order?" At Luke's shocked expression, he looked away again. "I've been having visions of her death."

Luke gasped as he realized one of the many possibilities of his father's turning. "It's because of the visions." Everyone turned to look at him as he thought out loud. "You have visions, which lead to you wanting to find a way to save her. Palpatine must have played on your doubt about the Jedi. He must have convinced you that you could save her if you turned..." He looked directly at Anakin. "What if he's the reason for the visions?"

Anakin's eyes widened as he thought over the possibility and his breath quickened. "That means I was playing right into his hands. If you hadn't shown up..." He looked away in shame at what he would have become.

Luke smiled, "Well, I did 'show up'." And things would be different this time around, his eyes closed and Luke sighed, the problem now, was that he wouldn't be around to see it. He opened his eyes in renewed determination. "I now have a limited time here. I need to warn you about Operation Knightfall and Order 66." This caught everyone's attention. "Operation Knightfall was the first mission lead by Vader. It was an attack on the Jedi Temple by the 501st Clone Battalion. Not many Jedi escaped that night. Order 66 was an order that all the clones were to respond to. It basically said that the Jedi were traitors to the Republic and therefore needed to be eliminated."

The Masters were very concerned about this. "We rely on the clones to watch our backs when we're out in the battlefields. If we were out fighting when the order is given, we would not expect to be shot from behind." Obi-wan realized.

Anakin began thinking of some ideas. "Luke, is it the Chancellor who gives this order?" Luke nodded. "So if we can somehow make sure he doesn't have a chance to put these things into action... maybe we would still stand a chance. But in order to not be marked as traitors, we must have proof against Palpatine."

Obi-wan shook his head, "That's going to be difficult." Palpatine wasn't going to have incriminating evidence, just lying around. The others began to worry.

"Then we just gain the evidence without him knowing." Luke and looked at Anakin. "As much as I don't like the idea of you anywhere near him, you may be the only chance the Jedi have. He trusts you and believes that you trust him."

Frowning, Anakin raised his eyebrows. "And while Obi-wan and I take care of Grievous, who's going to keep an eye on him?"

"I will."

At Luke's response, Anakin shook his head. "I don't think-"

Luke folded his arms, "You know, I really didn't want to have to pull rank on you."

"Pull rank?" Anakin repeated, looking confused as Obi-wan choked on a laugh.

Luke glanced at him, flashing a grin, before turning to Master Yoda. "Correct me if I'm wrong Master Yoda, but as the last Jedi in my time, wouldn't that technically make me the _Grand Jedi Master_ of my time."

"Correct, you are."

Looking back at Anakin, Luke raised his eyebrows and, "So technically you have to do as I say."

Anakin rolled his eyes at him. "Well obviously you have your mother's stubbornness." He mumbled, however the others heard him.

Obi-wan grinned at Luke. "Let's just hope, you're not as danger prone as your father." By now most of the Council had realized who 'Darth Vader' and Luke's father was.

Luke noticed their realizations. "Before you do anything, understand this. My father knows the truth now, therefore there is no chance that he would possibly turn on the Jedi. However..." Luke looked directly at Obi-wan and Anakin. "You must save my mother."

At their nod, he turned to the rest of the Council. "Attachments aren't bad for Jedi to have. I personally have an attachment with people. I have come to realize that it's not whether you have attachments but what you do with them. For example..." He looked at Anakin. "Heartbreak. If someone loses an attachment, they can either be bent on revenge or willing to let go. It is their decision... Our attachments help to make us who we are. They can strengthen us or weaken us... what happens is up to the person themselves."


End file.
